Read Online The Last Fairy Tale by E. S. Lowell - Free Book Online

sorry.”
     Olivia looked back at the imp and smiled. She had no idea how all this was happening or whether she was dead or alive, but she didn’t care. She was beginning to like the imp and whatever place she had managed to fall into. She decided she would play along, dream or not.
     “What’s your name?” she asked, bending down to pick up her journal that she had dropped.
     “Oh yeah, I forgot all about that, didn’t I,” it said, scratching its head with its pointy, stick-like fingers. “I’m Locke, and it’s nice to meet you.” He gave Olivia a deep bow.
     “I’m Olivia,” she replied. “And it’s also nice to meet you.” She smiled at Locke. He rose from his bow and looked in the direction of the sun.
     “I’d like to stay here and chat, but we have to get you to my hut before nightfall,” Locke said.
     “Why?” asked Olivia.
     “Those were my orders,” Locke said, shrugging his shoulders. “Given by the Great Fairy himself. I feel sort of honored, actually. He hasn’t given orders in more than a thousand years. At least, that’s what Old Sequoiak says, so you must be pretty important.”
     Olivia chuckled, still not fully sure whether this was really happening or if it was all in her head. For the time being, she decided to go with it and tossed the thought from her mind. “Well, you must be pretty important if he gave you the orders.” She giggled as Locke put a finger to his chin and stroked it, as if thinking.
     “You know, I didn’t think about it like that,” he said after a few moments. “You could be right. Either way, I have to get you to my hut. Will you follow me?”
     “Sure,” Olivia said. She was eager to see more of this place before she woke up. It reminded her of the magazine photograph in her father’s journal.
     “Then off we go!” Locked turned in the opposite direction and started walking, Olivia trailing behind. There was no path on the forest floor, but Locke seemed to know exactly where he was going. Olivia turned her head this way and that, taking in her surroundings. She couldn’t believe the sheer beauty of the place. The way the sun shone through the trees as it sunk into the horizon was enough to keep her happy for the rest of her life. She was in a daze, entranced by what was happening around her.
     A gust of wind suddenly blew through the trees, and the leaves waved down at her. She looked up and waved back. It felt a bit strange, but it seemed like the right thing to do. Another gust of wind blew, and this time, Olivia closed her eyes and listened. She thought that she could hear music. She was then reminded of the song that she had heard before she met Locke. She glanced at him and saw that he had what looked like a violin slung across his back.
     “Was that you playing the song back there?” she asked.
     Locke glanced back at her and quickly returned facing forward, embarrased. After a few moments, he said, “Yeah. It sounded terrible, didn’t it?”
     “No, not at all!” she exclaimed, shaking her head. “It was the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. Did you compose it yourself?”
     “Yep,” replied Locke. The compliment seemed to wash away his embarrassment, and he held his head a little higher. “I actually composed it as you rested. It’s a song that sort of mixes how I felt when I first saw you and the time of day it was.”
     “It was lovely,” said Olivia. “Can you play it again?”
     “I’d be happy to,” said Locke, looking toward the sun, “but we need to pick up the pace and get to my hut. It’ll be dark soon.”
     Olivia noticed that the sun had almost disappeared behind the trees. The forest was growing darker by the minute, so she heeded Locke’s advice and began walking faster. They walked for a short while longer until Locke slowed. “We’re here!”
     They had come to a small hut built between two trees that dwarfed the hut. It was made entirely of intricately carved wood, as if its